PLEURONECTIDiE. 



Tlie Holibut feeds close to the ground, on the smaller 

 species of Flatfish and various Crustacea. It spawns in 

 spring : the roe is of a pale red colour, and the ova in the 

 female very numerous. A specimen five feet two inches 

 long, in the shop of a London fishmonger, supplied the 

 means of obtaining the following description : — 



The length of the head compared to the whole length of 

 the fish without the caudal rays, is as one to four ; the 

 greatest breadth one third of the whole length, dorsal, anal, 

 and caudal fin-rays all excluded : the head small, but the 

 mouth large ; teeth in two rows in each jaw, small for the 

 size of the fish, conical, pointed, and separated ; the irides 

 yellow, the pupils black : the pectoral fin on the coloured 

 or dextral side one-fourth larger than that on the white or 

 under side ; the dorsal fin commences in a line over the eye, 

 the rays longest over the widest part of the body ; the anal 

 fin of similar character : both dorsal and anal fins terminate 

 on the same plane, and distinct from the caudal fin, the 

 posterior margin of which is concave; the ventral fins are 

 small, the white ventral fin of the under side the smaller of 

 the two : immediately in advance of the commencement of 

 the anal fin are two apertures ; the anterior opening large, and 

 evidently connected with the intestines ; the posterior opening 

 smaller, and apparently the outlet from the urinary bladder 

 and sexual organs. The fin-rays in number were — 



D. 104 : p. 16 : V. 6 : A. 81 : C. 16. 



The form of the body elongated ; the surface smooth, 

 covered with small oval-shaped soft scales ; the lateral line 

 arched over the pectoral fin; the colour composed of different 

 shades varying from light brown to dusky brown ; the surface 

 of the under side perfectly smooth and white. 



